Roundabout.



B'. DUNNING.

ROUNDABOUT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 24, 1910.

1,020,084. Patented Mar.12,1912.

'lllIllllllllI/ll/[Illllln mig 26 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH invia sra EDWARD DUNNING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROUNDABOUT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Application led May 24, 1910. Serial No. 563,223.

To all whom it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, Enwann DUNNING, a citizen ot' the United States, and resident ot St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improven'ients in Roundabouts, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices ot the type ot merry-go rounds, and has for its object a plurality o't seats arranged around a standard and mounted on ball and roller bearings, and a rictional gripping mechanism for rotating the same by the manipulation of a lever in close proximity to one oi the seats.

A further object of my invention is the arrangement and construction of the trictional operating mechanism, dispensing with the ratchets now used and the greater portion of the friction of the rotating mechanism.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my complete invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view oit the cap bearing. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the central seat arm support- Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view ot' the same taken on the line 1F-4 ot' Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view o't' the base collar, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing the frictional driving mechanism.

In the construction of my invention I provide a base 6 composed of a projecting co`ilar 7 and a plurality of radially projecting` arms 8 strengthened by the webs 9 formed integral therewith. The base is supported on suitable timbers 10 by means of lag screws 11 or the like. In the collar 7 is supported the lower end of the center support or standard 12 and on the top of said center support is attached a collar 13, its upper surface provided with a. groove 14 in which is seated and permitted to operate balls 15. Upon the collar 13 I place a cap 16 also provided with a groove 17 which corresponds to the groove 14 of the collar, and in which the balls 15 operate so as to form a ball bearing. The cap is provided with a downwardly projecting peripheral flange 18 which conceals the balls and the connecting joint from View and avoids displacement. On the cap 1G are also formed erforated lugs 19 through which one enl of the guy rods 20 are passed and secured.

The opposite ends of the guy rods 20 are passed through, secured to and support the seat arms 21 on which are mounted seats 22. The inner ends of the seat arms 21 are secured to the recessed arms 22 of the seat arm support 23, the said scat arm sup )ort 23 having a central opening 241 of asizes ightly larger than the center support 12 over which the seat arm support 23 is mounted, the inner surface of the casting 23 in which the opening is formed being provided with tapered recesses 25 in which are placed roller bearings 2G, and arranged as shown in Fig. 4. The purpose of the tapered recesses 25 is that. in the event the operators should try to revolve the device in a rearward direction, or in the direction opposite to the proper direction, it will be prevented 'from so turning by means of the rollers 26 riding on the inclined or tapered surface 27, :forming a lock between the casting and center support. The rollers are held in position from view by the flanges 2S located on the top and bottom, and are lirst admitted in place in the recesses after partially slipping thc casting over the upper end of the center support.

Upon the collar 7 ot the base and around the center support 12 I place a plate 20 having a flange 30 which contacts with the collar and on the under surface of the plate 29 is mounted a friction lever 31 held in position by the pivot 32, its tooth 33 being so arranged as to form a rictional contact with the collar 7 when applied thereto by pulling upon the long arm 311 of the lever, through the agency o1 the link 35 which is attached to the downwardly projecting arm 36 of the operating rod 37, the rodl 37 having bearing in the brackets 3S secured to the seat arms 21. The free end of said rod is provided with an operating lever having a hand handle 39 and a stirrup portion 40, this being located directly in front of one of the seats in close relation to the operator.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have secured to ine by the grant of Letters Patent, is:

1. A roundabout comprising a center support; a base; a ball-bearing cap on the top of said center support; a seat arm support around said support; a 'friction clutch resting on the base, a lever mechanism for operating the friction clutch, and means for preventing backward rotation of the seat arm support, substantially as specified.

2. A roundabout comprising a center support; a base to which the same is mounted; a seat arm support located around the center support; roller bearings located in tapered recesses on the interior of the seat arm support to contact with the center support and form a lock when revolved backward; a plurality of seat arms supported by the seat arm support and projecting laterally therefro-m; seats mounted on the ends of said seat arm support; a ball-bearing cap located on the top of the center support; guy rods extending from the cap to the seat arms for supporting the same; a friction clutch and an operating lever for manipulating the friction clutch for rotating the seat arm supports around the central support, substantially as specified.

3. A roundabout comprising a center support; a plurality of seats located around the center support; a seat arm support placed over the center support and supporting the seats; the interior of the seat arm support provided with tapered recesses; roller bearings located in the tapered recesses and which contact with the center support when in position; a friction lever arranged to place the seats in operation; an operating rod communicating with the friction lever for manipulating the same by an operator in one of the seats, substantially as specified.

4. A device of the class described comprising a base; a center support rigidly secured in said base; a ball-bearing cap located on the center support; a seat arm support located around the center support approximately at the center thereof; roller bearings located in tapered recesses formed in the seat arm support, which contact with the center support preventing backward rotation; a plate located around the center support and supported on the base; a friction lever pivotally mounted on the plate and arranged to contact with the collar of the base; an operating rod for placing the friction lever in operation to contact with the collar and place the device in revolution, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ED/VARD DUNNING.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. Ennis, WALTER C.y STEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

